Social worker stabbed several times as he checked on children

‘I am appalled at this shocking attack. Our thoughts are with the injured social worker’

A SOCIAL worker was stabbed multiple times while trying to check on the welfare of vulnerable children in north London, the Met Police has said.

The 61-year-old was accompanied by two police officers who also sustained injuries in the attack on Friday evening, the force said. Police were called just before 8pm to a property in Wood Green to assist the social worker who had been refused entry.

After forcing the door and entering a communal area of the building, the Haringey council social worker was approached by an attacker who stabbed him several times.

The Met said yesterday that a 33-yearold man arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm remains in custody. Two other men arrested in a nearby property in connection with the incident are also still being held.

“The nature of their involvement is still being established,” the Met said.

The social worker remains in hospital but his injuries are not life-threatening, while the two police officers were discharged early yesterday morning.

The Met said that steps have been taken to protect the children who were the subject of the initial welfare visit. Ch Supt Treena Fleming, policing commander for Haringey and Enfield, said: “Social workers play a vital role in ensuring that vulnerable people in our community are safe and protected.

“We have a very close working relationship with our local authority partners and their social services teams and I am appalled at this shocking attack.

“Our thoughts are with the injured social worker and his family and we wish him a speedy recovery. I would also like to pay tribute to the two officers who came to the aid of the victim, sustaining knife wounds themselves.” Cllr Peray Ahmet, the leader of Haringey council, and Zina Etheridge, the local authority’s chief executive, described the attack as “shocking”.

In a joint statement, they said: “This type of incident, while rare, is an important reminder that front-line staff across the public sector put themselves in harm’s way to do their jobs and we should all express our thanks.”